Sunday, December 15, 2013

I have listed this from a facebook post for Mui Wo to Tai O Families by Angharad Hampshire

Please note that this must be done by Wed December 18 2013

Please object to new developments in Mui Wo.

The government is planning three tower blocks. A 49m (16 storey) block
of 160 HOS flats on Ngan Kwong Wan Road Estate (between Regent Villa and
the existing public housing at Ngan Wan Estate - behind post office).
Two 55 m (18 storey) blocks of 460 HOS flats on a site known as Ngan
Kwong Wan Road West Estate (next to Mui Wo Fire Station and overlooking
the fishponds and wetland off the west of Ngan Kwong Wan Road), plus
rezoning the Fishpond area from GIC
(Sports Stadium). The deadline to complain is next Wed 18th December. I
was told only this week that building works will start next summer so
PLEASE OBJECT NOW (details of how below).

If the proposals are
implemented, the total population of Mui Wo will expand by about 2,000
in a very short period of time. This represents a 40% increase on the
existing 5,000 population virtually overnight, placing enormous strain
on transport, parking, schooling, and all public facilities.

Further, no assessments have been carried out on either the likely
demand for HOS flats from the demographic in question given the
inconvenient location given the high cost of transport to work and
school or the economic and environmental impact on Mui Wo.

The
scale of the buildings is out of keeping with all current planning
guidelines for Mui Wo (low and medium density housing), and the towers
blocks will be visually highly intrusive, dwarfing all existing
buildings and breaching the ridgeline, as well as adding significant
light pollution at night.

The Living Islands MOvement also
believe the fishpond area zoning should revert to recreation in line
with the surrounding area, to avoid the suspicion that further
development of the remaining wetland area is on the agenda. Now is the
ideal time to revisit planning intentions for Mui Wo’s remaining wetland
area.

If you agree please send in your objection to the Town Planning Board via their website.

A suggested response might be:
“I object to this application, Mui Wo Fringe - S/I-MWF/9, due to there
being no meaningful information provided to the community or a public
consultation or even an exhibition of plans for Mui Wo.”

Please also demand a public consultation exhibition of plans for Mui Wo in your representation.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

1. If you buy property in a Hong Kong village, understand that even though tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars have been exchanged, the mentality among the vast majority of people who have resided in the village is that you, a sort of perceived of interloper, do not really own your property.

2. While you may not think that it is such a good idea to bury plastic waste, have septic dumped into stream, set fire to chemicals sprayed on weeds, and throw refrigerators into open spots, understand that this will never change. Understand that even if you call the authorities and they bring in a fire truck to avert disaster, it will happen again. Try not to think about it too much.

3. Understand the East-West hierarchy. Know your position. NOTE I did not include language skills. This can affect social order to some degree. In any event, it goes like this:

Chinese male with money and lineage

Chinese male with money

Chinese male with lineage

Chinese male no money

Chinese female money and lineage (at times can overtake Chinese male with lineage, but not always--her position in flux dependent on if she is partnered with non-Chinese male)

White male with money (specifically European origin--otherwise would potentially include African descent males or South Asian males) At times White male with money can overtake Chinese female with money and lineage. If Chinese female is married to white male with money however, this is cause of upset from Chinese male with lineage no money and Chinese male no money. Also Chinese female usually lower than white female on totem pole in eyes of white males unless said white males are married to Chinese females.

Chinese female lineage no money

White female with money--okay, here it gets tricky. If white female and married to Chinese male, she may possibly ascend the hierarchy a bit, if Chinese male has money/lineage. She may even overtake White male position.

Also, to further complicate matters, both Chinese female and white female assume mutual superiority over each other. This does no good to either party and leaves both in a position of supplication to males of both Chinese and European extraction...

Moving ever downward...

White male no money

White female no money. Note how I do not mention lineage with non Chinese--this has little bearing in HK unless of royal/titled background.

East Asian male non-Chinese money

OK, here is where it gets tricky. This person can ascend social scale, definitely above white male no money and even potentially above white male with money, if not Japanese and not South Asian or Southeast Asian. UNLESS Southeast Asian, South Asian and fair skinned and/or married to European extraction person. In this case, individual ascends, but cannot go above European female extraction with money.

East Asian male non-Chinese no money

East Asian female non-Chinese money

East Asian female non-Chinese no money

East Asian female no money

UHMMMMMM....yeah, no wonder why life can really be a drag.....I cannot get any further as I think I am lower on the village food chain...I also cannot discuss the mixed ethnicity factor as this can also put the hierarchy into question--AGAIN dependent on the nature of the mix.

Keohi the Drummer 2009

South Lantau Fair Fall 2009

Butterflies Everywhere 2009

One of Lantau's extraordinary insects. The kind that does not leave you scratching....

Butterfly South Lantau 2009

Stunning and elusive

Green Bananas, 2009

We have to wait until they turn yellow...

Keohi and Steph in South Lantau 2009

Hiking past the gravesite. Beautiful.

I Need a Hug from Dada

Everyone feels better now

Hiking South Lantau 2009

Up the trail to Tung Chung

Baby Kaii and Katie 2009

Friends in the village

Hanging in front of the Lam's House

Helmet, ball, dinosaur undies, and slippers. Life is good.

Watermelon at the pink table 2009

I want the BIG PIECE. NO. THE BIG PIECE. Good. Finally you listened to me.

Halloween Family Pic 2009

American Halloween in Mui Wo 2009

Pirates from Luk Tei Tong

Getting ready to loot Downtown Mui Wo Halloween 2009

Halloween 2009

I'm a pirate, matey...note my matching diaper

Lawnmower Fall 2009

Mowing the lawn in my bike helmet and pink Wellies...

Keohi with sunglasses and bike--looking like Dada...

This my bike. MY BIKE.

Christian Zheng Sheng Association forum

Mui Wo gathers in the gym

Keohi and the Christian Zheng Sheng Assoc.

This is Democracy

May 2009 Keohi in Shades

Earth Tones...

Keohi, Grandma, and His Wheels

A gift from Grandma

Playtown, Kennedy Town, HK

Family Outing...Playtown!

The Hong Kong Insect Bite Index (HKIB)

The 2009 Mosquito Season officially over...sort of. November 24, 2009. The season's last mosquito killed by Stephen at 3AM.

First mosquito bite of 2009. Yup. Last night. On my back. February 5, 2009.The season begins...anticipating a wild rally in the upcoming months due to the killing of OBGB's indigenous frogs.And we have Japanese Encephalitis in our area. Isn't that swell?